Winter Rallies 2015 / 2016 season

This is getting to be a tradition on a par with egg nog and brandy snaps, the RDM annual Winter Rallies listing. It's that time of year when the die-hard esoteric sphere of the biking world rig up their handlebar muffs, legshields and, in a few worthy instances, spiked tyres and head off into the cold. It's a ride incomprehensible to most but those who have embarked know the winter rally to be the noblest and finest of motorcycling experiences enriched by a keen spirit of camaraderie and strong alcohol. To the select band of winter ralliests I salute you.

As in previous years here's a list of established winter rallies, a couple I know to be good from personal experience, others I have heard good things about. There are only scant details about some of these rallies on the web, the word of mouth and pre-rally research is part of the fun. Get out there on to forums, etc and find out more for yourself. If you haven't been to a winter rally before perhaps head to one of the less hardcore ones first and getting chatting to the old hands to find out more about the extreme. One day I will rig up an outfit and maybe see you at the Primus...

Here's the disclaimer: this is just a list I've compiled to help out fellow enthusiasts, check out all the dates and details for yourself before heading off. Most events listed are ticket in advance only. Don't take winter riding lightly, prepare your bike properly, ride in decent kit and have a contingency.

If you get inspiration to attend an event from this page how about sending in some pictures.

Enjoy!

Force Ten Rally. 8 to 10 January 2016, Warwickshire, UK. Mayflower MCC.

Wintertreffen Augustusburg. 9  January 2016. Schloss Augustusburg, Augustusburg,Germany. See also here.

Agnellotreffen. 15 to 17 January 2016. Pontechianale, Italy.

Hot Rod Rally. 22 to 24 January 2016. Holland. BSA OC.

Alteisentreiber. 28 to 31 January 2016. Austrian Alps.

Savalen Rally. 28 to 31 January 2016. Savalen Fjell Hotel, Savalen, Norway.

Elefantentreffen / Elefant Rally. 29 to 31 January 2016. Loh / Thurmansbang-Solla near Passau, Germany. The original Elefant Rally.

Kickstart Rally, 29 to 31 January 2016. Cirencester. UK. Ogri MCC

Fjord Rally. 2 to 5 February 2016. Jostedal Hotel, Jostedal, Norway.

Wild Boar. 5 to 7 February 2016. Cantabria, Spain. MC Piston

Altes Elefantentreffen. 12 to 14 Febraury 2016, Nurburgring Germany. Confusingly the'Old Elefant Rally' is in fact the upstart new Elefant Rally and held at the Nurburgring.

Dragon Rally. 13 & 14 February 2016, Wales. The British Elefant and a grand tradition. 

Krystall Rally. 24 to 28 February 2016, Røros Hotel, Røros, Norway. Just because it is in a hotel don't think that this is an easy option. Temperatures this time of year can drop to minus 20 degrees.

Primus Rally. Last weekend in February 2016, Velmunden near Bjøneroa, Norway.

Primus Borealis Rally. Mid February. Just South of the North Cape, Norway. Not sure if this one is still running but it merits inclusion by nature of being the most extreme. Both of the Primus Rallies are notoriously hard to find information about on the web.

Excelsior Autobyk

Posing with an Excelsior Autobyk from the late forties/ early fifties. Autocycles achieved popularity as cheap postwar transport for a nation eager to get on the move again and are generally defined by a 98cc engine capacity, open frame, pedals and usually a clutch is fitted but no gears. With most of the glamour expensive machinery sent abroad for the postwar export drive autocycles were one of the few two wheelers more freely available. The Autobyk was and is considered one of the best of the bunch.

The Autobyk was introduced in 1937 and was originally fitted with the Villiers Junior powerplant. Production ceased in 1939 for the War and resumed in 1946. For 1947 the Super-Autobyk was introduced, this model was fitted with Excelsior's own 'Goblin' engine which was unique amongst autocycles in being fitted with a two speed gearbox. Later in 1947 Excelsior introduced the Autobyk de Luxe which was powered by an Excelsior 'Spryt' motor- the same engine as used by Brockhouse in the Corgi scooter. The Autobyk was discontinued in 1956.

Read more on Andrew Pattle's Moped Archive.

Period photo of an Excelsior Autobyk.

The 1950 Douglas Motorcycles range

The 1950 Douglas catalogue is an embossed card folder containing A4 sized art prints of the range and is the most stunningly presented motorcycle brochure that I've come across.

Douglas 1950 range card folder front cover.

Douglas 1950 range print. The Douglas factory.

Douglas 1950 range print. The 80 Plus model.

Douglas 1950 range print. The 80 Plus model specs on
reverse of print.

Douglas 1950 range print. The Mark V model.

Douglas 1950 range print. The Mark V model specs on
reverse of print.

Douglas 1950 range print. The Mark V model.

Douglas 1950 range print. The Mark V model specs on
reverse of print.

Douglas 1950 range print. The Competition model.

Douglas 1950 range print. The Competition model specs on
reverse of print.

Douglas 1950 range print. The 90 Plus model.

Douglas 1950 range print. The 90 Plus model specs on
reverse of print.

Douglas 1950 range print. Guarantee.

Douglas 1950 range card folder rear cover.

Indian Chief 1940

A very unusual bike in the UK at the time. An Indian Chief from c1940. I'm guessing the picture is taken post war and the bike is ex-WD. There were a lot of 741 models floating around army surplus in the post war years but a Chief would be something special.

Indian Chief posing in the garden. She looks
pretty non-plussed by it!

Another view of the 1940 Indian Chief. Looks
pretty standard, a spotlight has been added
on the handlebars.

CCM 604 turns supermoto

The CCM came to me with a set of supermoto wheels. I'd been meaning to try them out for a while and have just gotten round to fitting them. Swapping the wheels across was child's play, the only problem I encountered was a rounded allen head on one of the disc rotor bolts. Button head allen bolts truly are the spawn of satan: aesthetically they're great but so prone to rounding off in smaller sizes and especially in stainless that they should be outlawed. To be fair the bolts were loctited on, I personally prefer a dab of copper grease and lock washer on rotor bolts but I guess many folks go for the security of loctite.

Out on the road the transformation to the character of the bike is astonishing given that only the wheels have been changed. I guess the narrow off road tyres were so confidence uninspiring that one tended to treat the bike a bit gingerly. The supermoto wheels release the handling potential of the machine and, what with the willingness of the engine to get lary and the power of the front brakes, overall the bike encourages a high level of back lane hooliganism. The grin factor is huge and a twenty minute ride leaves your heart pounding and the adrenaline coursing. The good thing is that this is all achieved at not outrageously high speeds. The CCM could make a fun commuter but it is more at home tearing around the countryside. The bike seems so natural in this format that in my ownership I can't see it going back to off-roading. 

Unit New Imperial

Unit construction New Imperial dating from the early thirties. The technically advanced unit construction range appeared in 1932 and continued up until 1939 in sizes from 150 to 500cc.

The rider is smartly turned out with leather double breasted trench coat, plus fours and argyle socks.

Rider and machine smartly turned
out. Early thirties unit construction
New Imperial.

Tweaking the J2

1940 Royal Enfield J2.

Been spending a little time getting to know the J2 of late. I'm finding the performance a bit disappointing, it feels very torquey and powerful but not keen on revving and if pushed the vibes get intrusive. The timing didn't feel quite right for modern fuels and I was pretty sure the bike could pull a way taller gear. 

In went the bike to the workshop and off came the timing cover. I gave the timing pinion a small tweak of advance (it's all precision engineering in my workshop!) and re-assembled. Those high level pipes may look great but they don't half get in the way, look how they completely obscure the tappet cover and clip the top of the timing cover.

The J2 final drive gearbox sprocket is the same as that for classic Indian Enfields. The standard size is 16 teeth, I went for an 18. Luckily it just fitted without a new chain or having to add a link.

Out on the road there is a marked improvement. Comfortable cruising speed is up from 45mph to somewhere slightly above 50. Still scope for improvement though, I'm pretty sure the timing can be advanced further still. Now I've just got a slightly leaky petrol tank and a high oil consumption habit to sort out....

The exhausts were not made with practicality
and ease of maintenance in mind. They are
possibly not the original bend.